The hammerhead's gulf
The hammerhead’s gulf is longest known stretch of beach in WOH’s geography and is home to a bustling community of fishers. The waters have a well known shark problem (hence the name) and the locals battle with them almost every day however the richness of the marine life well overcompensates for it. A variety of tropical fish are caught in specially designed nets called liko’s (named after the early pioneer who invented them) and either kept as pets or sold on for food. It’s not uncommon to see fish, such as clown fish or guppies, being displayed as decoration in homes. Usually in small glass bowls made from large quantities of sand smoothed out and melded together.Other unlucky aquatic animals are prepared as food for the general population which is the main diet of those living at hammerhead’s gulf. At one point most non blood sucking Insects were exclusively herbivores but over time have evolved to be able to handle a more varied diet. Sharks are seen as a delicacy and jewellery is fashioned out of their bones for locals or to sell to tourists. Their meat is expensive on the market and is most often one of the greatest sources of fishers income. Because of this when shark season comes around it’s a huge event with festivals celebrating and a general sense of joy within the community. A new set of shark jaws are mounted at the end of every season and can be seen proudly displayed in the community hall. Banana trees along with other native species were planted a long time ago and now the hammerheads gulf accounts for exactly 60% of botanical imports to other areas. The wood from these trees is a less lucrative industry but there's still a fair share of locals taking advantage of it. Their harvesting and lumber techniques are primitive at best considering the technological advances of bigger settlements. Their port also happens to be one of the largest and crudely constructed boats can be seen tethered to their docks at all times of year. There's barely ever a day where there's not some type of activity going on the gulf.The humidity and scorching heat is not for the faint of heart so typically only hard backed insects such as beetles live here since their shell deflect the sun. Though you won't be hard pressed to find a few tourists sticking it out for the sake of taking in the scenery. Traditional hats weaved from 'tanned' strips of banana skins are commonplace here. Often you can see the makers of such accessories laying out the supplies on their porch for them to bake in the sun. Naturally shed feathers from birds like conures are also woven in to brighten the hats up. Feathers or feather prints are a common theme in almost all the clothing that comes out of the gulf. Houses here are constructed from sanded down wood and have almost an excessive amount of Windows due to the surplus of glass that's made. They colour it in a mosaic pattern with all the colours of the rainbow until the pavements flow with hues of red, orange, pink and yellow. It mirrors the tradition of beetles painting flashy designs on their outer casing for festivals or what is viewed as more "formal" events. There's a whole slew of patterns reserved for different occasions which is something almost entirely unique to the hammerhead's gulf.They also ascribe to a different calender system than the rest of WOH and use the lunar phases instead of the more common sun dials. Measuring specific periods of time by putting a special type of measuring stick (known by many different slang terms depending on regional dialect) and seeing how much the tide has went in or out by. Law enforcement isn't a massive concern with the most pressing issue being poachers. Generally, insect on insect crime is at a low in the gulf. It's a labour heavy atmosphere with most of the insects efforts being focused on generating more profit and keeping the cogs turning. After all, beetles are exponentially hard workers and barely any resources are spent on entertainment. Although there are some bars which have been set up and a small band which operates solely on the basis of whenever-we-have-time-to-perform. The general consensus seems to be that community is far more important than recreation. In this money centred climate there will always be those who are going to exploit it for their own gain. Small groups of poachers prey on the many tropical birds in the area and sell their skins overseas to rich areas. It's a barbaric practice involving arrows tipped with frog poison and elaborate snares being set up to entangle and maul the small creatures. In some instances entire nests ,along with their eggs, have been targeted and destroyed to make the birds more exposed. It's highly illegal of course as ruled by a majority vote. Although that doesn't always dissuade insects from trying it. Due to an influx of reported poaching crimes patrols of beetles are now sent out on the daily and a bird observation scheme has been put into place with the reports being displayed in the community hall. Any individuals caught breaking this rule are sentenced to intense labour as punishment and are stripped of their right to fish in the waters ever again. Something which is a huge blow for a society from which individuals main source of income is invested the food trade. Government on the gulf is a despotism with no set body or representatives. It's a rather laid back attitude with laws and new ideas being enforced by volunteers and the general community rather than by one force. Even police officials are viewed as simply employees whose wages are paid through a collective donation by the people. Due to this system tax isn't a regular collection and instead residents offer up money when and where it's needed. Such as in the event of public property being damaged and needing repair. Even that isn't a requirement however it's viewed as deeply disrespectful not to so most chip in where they can. Unfortunately this system isn't without its flaws and there have been times when ,without rigid structure, the harmony of the island has turned into pure anarchy. Take the aptly named "shark recession" for example where fish prices plummeted overseas and the economy suffered greatly. Insects would do anything to gain some extra money and thus turned to more morally grey solutions. This instance, and many others in the gulf's history, have prompted a small council to be formed that will take effect in situations of uncontrollable chaos. Luckily for the island since the council was founded it hasn't been needed however the decision was still a controversial one and not everyone agrees that it was the best way forward. The current type of currency used in the hammerhead's gulf is the common Lura disc. A small coin sized currency fashioned out of clay and embossed with the design of the moon and sun eclipsing each other. As its name suggests it's a pretty common form of currency and is used almost universally across most rainforests, deserts, almost any area where sand is present or the rain falls in great sheets. Clay is a rare material around the gulf (and also every other area which isn't marshland) so these discs have to be imported in from such places. It's an inconvenience but the Lura disc is the easiest accessible main form of currency and can also be converted into others with relative ease.